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Thailand has introduced a visa-free entry plan for China to increase the number of tourists

2019/8/29 11:00:34

The country's tourism minister, Pipa Lachakitt Prakahn, told the Prachachart Business News last week that he was ready to introduce visa-free tourism to Indian and Chinese tourists. During the proposed one-year pilot project, the project was submitted to the Cabinet for discussion. N. Citizens of both countries can enjoy visa-free entry for up to 14 days. The plan may come into effect on November 1, the second day after the expiration of the current plan, which exempts Chinese tourists from visa fees upon arrival. China is Thailand's largest source of tourists, accounting for more than a quarter of the total number of Thai tourists. "This time I propose visa-free travel, not visa-free arrival. I believe this will stimulate tourism and come to a stronger conclusion in the peak season later this year, "Pipat told the newspaper. According to the Thai Tourism Bureau, the number of Chinese tourists declined in the first quarter of this year, but Vicht said he was optimistic that visa-free schemes would have a significant impact on Tourism in the crucial fourth quarter. According to the Thai Tourism Bureau, China is Thailand's largest source of tourists, accounting for more than a quarter of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) of about 20% of the total number of tourists. Last year, there were 10.5 million Chinese tourists, an increase of 7% over last year. But in the first six months of this year, the number of people entering the country fell by 4.7% to 5.65 million. The decline was due to incidents that raised concerns about the safety of tourists, especially during a storm on Phuket last July, when two boats capsized and sank, killing 47 Chinese tourists. However, Tammy You, a spokesman for Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency, said Thailand remained the favorite foreign destination for Chinese tourists in recent years. Thailand topped the list in terms of group buying in July, followed by Japan, she said. Itnam and Russia. Zhou Xiaochuan said that it is a common practice for Thailand to waive visa fees in order to increase the number of tourists, but adding China to the list of 64 countries that enjoy visa-free entry would be unprecedented. He predicted that the prospect of avoiding queuing for visas at airports would be greatly improved. But it sounds cautious. Zhou said the Thai government has taken a conservative attitude toward relaxing visa requirements, adding that he does not think the implementation prospects of the plan are optimistic.